Why I Accompany My Students on the Piano During Violin Lessons

Some of you may wonder, if I’m teaching violin, I should just focus on teaching the violin. Why am I “abandoning” or “ignoring” the student by accompanying the student on the piano?

As a piano and violin teacher, I have the resources to utilize both instruments when teaching. When I teach violin, I use the piano for the reasons below:

• To help with the student’s intonation

• With the point above, this will gradually improve the student’s listening skills, hence, become more sensitive to the pitch. 

• When the student is playing a piece that requires piano accompaniment, this allows him or her to understand that a lot of times, music-making is not just about oneself but it’s also about listening to others and working together. This includes playing at a steady tempo, supporting each other to build the climax together, phrasing and shaping of the melodies, ensuring that a conversation is heard (if applicable), etc.

Generally, playing with another instrument(s) helps with the student’s overall musicianship. In the near future, the student may have the chance to play with other instruments or be part of an ensemble. With all the reasons above, this is why I accompany my violin students on the piano during lessons. 

The very first song in Volume 1 of the Suzuki book is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Variations. There are 4 variations followed by the theme and this also comes with a piano accompaniment part, which is one of the several reasons why I believe in Suzuki when I teach violin.